Wendy Young: Ergonomics Expert and  Master Strategic Attraction™ Coach

by Bonnie Boots

Wendy Young is worried about you. She thinks you're setting yourself up for problems in the future, problems that could cost you your shot at success. And after talking with her, I'm inclined to agree.

Wendy Young is a certified ergonomist. That means she's trained in helping people maximize their productivity by reducing physical stresses that result in discomfort and fatigue.

You've probably heard the word "ergonomic" in relation to products that are designed with human comfort in mind. You may already own an "ergonomic" chair or an "ergonomic" computer mouse. And it's easy to see that having a more comfortable mouse and office chair would help you work longer.

I have an ergonomic chair. I have an ergonomic mouse. And I swapped out keyboard after keyboard until I found one that was supremely comfortable for me. As a result, I can now sit comfortably at my computer for four or five hours without a break.

But I've found out that just because you can do a thing doesn't mean you should do a thing.

In an article for the April issue of The Internet Wizards Magazine, I wrote about the searing leg pains I developed after working extremely long hours for several months. My doctor told me I'd put myself at high risk for deep vein thrombosis, a serious condition often caused by sitting without movement for long periods of time.

Wendy Young read that article and called me. She said "Your article was so important. Not enough people know about DVT (deep vein thrombosis) even though it's a major cause of death and disability."

Young reminded me that NBC reporter David Bloom died in Iraq in 2003. He was covering frontline battlefield news, yet it wasn't a bomb or a bullet that ended his life at the age of 39. It was deep vein thrombosis, which developed during the many long hours he spent inside a cramped military vehicle.

"The sad and shocking thing," said Young "is that so many people work in office environments that are no better."

Young said she's usually hired by corporations, and usually after an employee has had a major healthcare claim for a work-related injury. "A single surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome can result in a $100,000 claim for a company," Young said. "That sort of claim will often get a business thinking in terms of prevention. When they call me in, what I usually find is office equipment that was chosen based on one factor-price"

"They buy the cheapest equipment and think they're saving money, when what they're actually doing is creating future injury claims and lost productivity.. More work hours are lost due to back pain then any other cause," Young says. "Those cheap chairs are costing business a fortune."

Young doesn't see self-employed people doing any better. "People working in offices don't have any say about the equipment they use. Self-employed people have all the say about what they work with, but too often make the same poor choice."

"They choose the cheapest equipment, at least until they find themselves suffering from back pain, neck and shoulder pain, wrist pain," Young says. "Their productivity goes down, their quality of life suffers, and all for the sake of saving a few dollars on a chair or keyboard."

"What I want people to understand is that taking good care of your body is an investment in your future success," says Young. "A body in discomfort, a body in pain is not a body that is going to take you to the top."

Wendy Young knows. She entered the work world with a four-year degree in computer sciences, yet almost immediately hated her first job. "My office chair was way too big for me. If I sat back, my feet didn't touch the floor. If I sat on the edge of the chair to touch the floor, I had no back support. And no matter how I sat, I could hardly reach the keyboard."

Young describes her constant discomfort and the effect it had on her work. "I'd invested a lot of time and money preparing for that job. But right from the start, I couldn't work well. My performance suffered, but I didn't blame the chair. I blamed myself. Then the stress of worrying about my performance made me even more uncomfortable, which made my performance even worse."

The downhill spiral ended when Young left the job. Feeling like a failure, she worked for a while selling office equipment. There, exposed for the first time to the concept of ergonomic design, Young says "A light bulb went on! All of a sudden I knew exactly what I was supposed to be doing with my life!"

Looking back, Young pictures her uncomfortable work experience in a bigger frame. "When I started that job, my body immediately told me that chair and that keyboard were not a good fit for me. But my discomfort was more than just physical. The truth is, the job itself was not a good fit for me. When I ignored the signals I was sending myself, my body made me listen by putting me in pain."

Wendy Young has now been a practicing, certified ergonomist for 15 years. It's work she thrives in. When she speaks, happiness and confidence shine through. There's passion in her voice when she says that people will never achieve true success by forcing themselves into work, or work equipment, that is not suited to their authentic self.

"When I started in ergonomics," Young says, "I thought my job was just to access work environments and help people avoid pain. But now, after working with thousands of people, I know my real work is about helping people find comfort so they can create the lives they were meant to live!"

Wendy Young has a book available to help you get out of pain and get into your comfort zone. She laughs when she describes it as "step-by-step, do-it-yourself ergonomics." "Get Inside Your Comfort Zone" is designed to help you access and improve your office equipment, your posture and your work habits. Simple exercises will help you improve breathing and circulation and increase energy. "When you feel good, your productivity level and outlook on life will increase," says Young. "And then, who knows what you may accomplish?"



You can learn more about Wendy Young's book, "Get Inside Your Comfort Zone," by clicking here

or visit Wendy at her web site, Lessons In Law Of Attraction, by clicking here.

About the Author

Bonnie Boots is the publisher/editor of The Internet Wizards Magazine for people who want to create their own products and market on the internet. Register for your free 1-year subscription at http://www.theinternetwizards.com